Sesamia inferens Walker

Leucania inferens Walker, 1856, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 9:105.

Leucania proscripta Walker, 1856, Ibid., 9:106.

Sesamia tranquilaris Butler, 1880, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 1880: 674.

Nonagria gracilis Butler, 1880, Ibid., 1880: 675.

Sesamia albiciliata Snellen,. 1880, Tijdschr. Ent., 23: 44.

Nonagria innocens Butler, 1881, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond, 1881: 173.

Diagnosis

This species superficially resembles Mythimna species but has smooth, rather than hairy, eyes. The forewing is much less striate than in Mythimna, with a diffusely darker central streak, and darker brown at the margin, grading away basad. The hindwings are almost pure creamy white.

Biology

The larva was described by Williams (1953). It has many features general to its genus: pinkish coloration apart from the light brown prothoracic shield; uniordinal crochets; elongate, oval spiracles with black peritremes. Features of chaetotaxy are also given and characters distinguishing the larva from the generic type-species. Host-records (e.g. Miyata, 1983) are almost entirely from Gramineae (Coix, Echinochloa, Oryza, Panicum, Saccharum, Setaria, Triticum, Zea, Zizania), including many of economic importance. There is one record from Diospyros (Ebenaceae) (Miyata, 1983).

Genitalia: